*Sherman, Chris.  "Speed Searching," Web Search Newsletter,  January 7, 2000 - vol. 3 no. 1.  [http://websearch.about.com/internet/websearch/library/blnl_010700.htm]

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Quick! You need to find something on the Web right now—this instant, with no delay. Easy, right?   Heh.

Even under the best of circumstances, searching is often a time-consuming task. But when you're under pressure, trying to find something using your usual methods is often a prescription for a massive headache.

Fortunately, there are techniques that can really help when there's not a moment to be lost. They may not be the best methods when you're doing careful research, but they're a godsend when you're crunched for time and need instant results.
 

A Speed Searching Checklist

Start with a meta search engine. One of the Web's dirty little secrets is that search engines aren't very comprehensive in their coverage. The largest covers less than 25% of the Web. Even worse, there's not a lot of overlap in what the various engines do index. In other words, that needle you're searching for might be in any one of a number of haystacks.

Meta search engines search several major Web indexes simultaneously. By using a meta search engine like Dogpile, Mamma, or Ask Jeeves, you cast a much wider net, and increase the likelyhood of quickly snaring an elusive page.

Use rare search terms. Search engines give greater weight to unusual words than common ones. If your search query is for something common, think of less frequently used synonyms and use them in addition to common terms. This allows the search engine to narrow the meaning of your query, discarding results where matching words have different meanings (apple pie vs. Apple Computer).

Use Boolean (or not). Use Boolean logic when you're looking for an exact match, not when you're searching for a concept. As a rule of thumb, you're better off typing sentences into search engine forms. These days most engines can handle natural language, and may in fact give you much better results than if you override relevance ranking systems by using Boolean logic.

For more on when to use Boolean, see Exploit YourRelatives, an article on using simplified Boolean operators to hone your search.

Use specialized search sites. There are a ton of specialized search sites that focus on narrow niches. They often provide much richer results for specific topics than the general purpose search engines.

Many of these specialized search sites focus on areas that aren't covered by search engines, in the vast expanses of the Invisible Web. In fact, for some kinds of information, you simply won't be able to find it unless you use a specialized search tool. See Specialized Search Engines & Directories - Net Links, and The Invisible Web for more information.

Don't forget non-traditional search sources. You can pick up all kinds of useful information from sites that offer search but aren't search engines in the traditional sense. For example, you can get product information from sites like Borders Books and eBay

"Popular opinion" sites can also be helpful. The articles and dialog on sites like Deja, Epinions, and Productopia serve as a great "early warning system" for emerging trends that are likely to be completely off the radar of traditional search services.

Use a multi-browsing tool. Multi-browsers let you open up a number of different windows simultaneously, allowing you to create a personal meta search on numerous sites of your own choosing. Start a search on a site in one window, then flip over to another window and search a different site while the first continues to process.

Multi browsers can be terrific time-savers, and are also very handy even when you're not in a hurry, but want to be able to compare a number of different pages at the same time. Opera, NetCaptor, and Quickbrowse all offer different approaches to multi browsing, and are worth a look.
 

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